#Polish #Genealogy – Shoemaker’s Guild (Leszczynski, Biechow)

by C. Michael Eliasz-Solomon

Pretty nifty poster or book page huh? Stanczyk found this in a Polish Digital Library. This masonic-looking page, with the all-seeing eye in the clouds with cherubs, etc. is a notice of a Shoemaker’s Guild from the “Year of Our Lord 1842” in the gubernia of Kielce.

Now this is of interest to me because my great-grandfather, Tomasz Leszczynski listed his occupation in the church birth records on the 1860’s, as shoemaker & innkeeper — which I always thought was a rather clever combination as travelers would need shoe repairs and why not get those while you are staying at the inn. So this image is contemporaneous (roughly) with my great-grandfather and the thought occurred to me perhaps I can find records in a Guild Book about my great-grandfather.

So here is Stanczyk’s million dollar question: “Has anyone done any research in Poland and located these guild books in any Archive or Library and been able to locate ancestors?” Question two, “Was the search worthwhile — what kind of info did you find?”

Come on genealogists, let’s crowd-source, collaborate, or social network a solution here. OK? Anyone near Biechow parish, Pinczow Archive or Kielce Ecclesiastical Archive or a Library in or around one of those three cities in Poland? Can you help a Polish-American jester out? Email me or even comment on this blog… I’ll be waiting.

http://pastprologue.wordpress.com/ Blogger and well known genealogist: Donna Pointkouski, asked where I got the above image. My answer was by rummaging through the Polish Digital Archives that are online.

I just happened to be surfing the net to see if there was “any” info about Polish Shoemaker’s. I happen to have several in my family line and it got me to wondering if I could find any information about them. Your site and Poster is the most interesting info that I have come across, but I will keep looking. I’ll let you know if I discover anything!

Hello MaryAnne,
Welcome to my blog and thanks for your kind comments. Please do let me and also Donna P. know if you find anything else about Polish shoemakers or their guild. I am glad I could be of help. When I wrote this I thought the article to be rather narrow and only of interest to me, so I am pleased to get two comments from genealogists who have shoemakers in their family tree.

I have a photo of a statue in the 110 year old church of Przedecz, where one of my great grandfathers is from, that represents the profession of shoemaker. I don’t know how to post an attachment to this stream but if anyone is interested in it, please email me.